Purpose:
- To understand how the tobacco industry uses manipulative advertising, focusing on menthol, to target specific communities like the African-American community
- To discuss which other communities are at risk and are already being targeted by tobacco companies
Materials:
- PowerPoint (“Targeting African Americans: The Menthol Plan”)
- Activity: Print-Outs of Advertisement
- Activity: Teacher PowerPoint
- Computer and Projector
Preparation:
- Instructor Pre-Work:
- Print out advertisement for each student or circulate a few copies
Procedure:
1. Warm-Up:
a. Present PowerPoint: “Targeting African Americans: The Menthol Plan”
2. Activity:
a. Hand out a copy of the ad while you show it to the class and ask them to read it.
i. Have first slide up on the projector.
ii. Say to the students: "Big tobacco has turned use of menthol into a racial equality issue, rather than an issue of the marketing and selling of a highly addictive product to the African-American community."
b. After students have read the advertisement ask the students to discuss the below question with their neighbor:
i. Should informed grown-ups, who decide to smoke, have the freedom to choose menthol cigarettes?
c. After a short exchange between the dyads/pairs, have all students line up along a line of 0% agree with the statement [left] to 100% disagree with the statement [right].
d. Now pair up the first student to the left with last student to the right.
e. Continue to pair up the far-right students with a far-left partner until everybody has a partner or triad. Ask them to discuss this question briefly:
i. Is the use of tobacco, particularly menthol cigarettes, a civil right that should be guaranteed to the African American community?
f. Ask the students how many would change their first score based upon this discussion.
g. Now read to students:
i. 3.9% of African American high schoolers smoke, but 85% of menthol smokers are African American.
h. Ask them:
i. If menthol cigarettes are a form of racism, stand up.
ii. If smoking menthol cigarettes is a form of choice--stand up?
i. Finally ask the class:
i. Should African Americans, who chose to smoke, receive health care from their health insurance companies when they have a smoking-related disease?
j. Show slide 2.
k. Ask students:
i. Why would youth between the ages of 11-23 that have experienced racism be 80% more likely to smoke cigarettes than youth that have not faced racism?
l. Have students work in small groups to brainstorm a list of what other communities would be more likely to smoke as a result of prejudice and why?
i. Have groups share out with entire class.
